Attack on Church Leaves 19 Dead in Nigeria
At least 19 people were killed in an armed attack on a Protestant church in the town of Otitie, central Nigeria, a military spokesman said today.
This is the latest in a series of actions in recent months that had caused the death of hundreds of people in the African country and whose acts are ascribed to radical Islamic groups.
The head of the Joint Task Force Kogi State, Lt. Col. Gabriel Olorunyomi, told reporters that the attack occurred Monday night in a traditional religious ceremony.
The death toll is between 15 and 19, according to sources, and between them is the pastor of the church.
There were at least 10 attackers, who were shooting during 20 minutes against the faithful.
No group claimed responsibility, but they do not rule out it was committed by Boko Haram group, author of a series of attacks on religious sites in northern and central Nigeria.
The organization endorsed the July 11 decision to maintain the declared war against Christians and Nigerian security agencies.
Christians should accept Islam, a true religion, or they will never be in peace, the statement says.
Since 2009 Boko Haram’s violence campaign left over 1,200 dead, according to military sources.
Last month the president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, invited Muslims from his country to pray for peace, stability and progress at the start of Ramadan’s holy month.
After the events, the president sacked Defense Minister Bello Haliru, and the National Security Adviser, Andrew Azazi.
Hillary Clinton Recognizes Differences with South Africa
US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, admitted here differences today of her government with South Africa, a country which, she said, has a lot to offer to the world.
“We are not always in the same line because sometimes we have discords “, expressed Clinton.
The leader of the US diplomacy arrived in this capital as part of a tour started last week on several nations of the continent, of which she already visited Senegal, Uganda, Kenya and Malawi.
This Tuesday, Clinton met in Pretoria with her South African counterpart, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, to whom she asked for the African country to increase its influence in the region and at international level.
In the opening of the meeting, the US diplomat recognized that both countries face difficult subjects like the proliferation of nuclear weapons, climatic change, the problems of security and the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.
A source near the delegation told journalists before the meeting that Washington wants to cheer Pretoria “to play a great role and increase its influence in the world-wide scene.”
South Africa deplored months ago the direct aid of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to the Libyan opposition and pleaded for the necessity to organize a national dialogue.
More recently, South Africa abstained to vote a resolution in the UN Security Council proposed by Europe and the United States to increase the sanctions against Syria.
Pretoria occupies the rotating period for two years of the Security Council of the world body, which mandate is about to conclude.
It is scheduled that in the day Clinton has an encounter with just the recently elected president of the Commission of the African Union, South African Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
The US Secretary of State will travel to Capetown where she will preside over the transference ceremony to South Africa of the administrative control for the program against AIDS.
When finishing her visit here, Clinton will continue its tour of 11 days to Nigeria, Ghana and Benin, and soon she will go to Turkey.
Observers agree that the trip of the United States Secretary of State is part of the strategy of Washington to reduce the economic weight of China in the region.
Egypt Announces 3 days Mourning After Deadly Assault in Sinai
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has decided to hold three-day mourning for soldiers killed and injured in a deadly assault in Sinai Peninsula on Sunday.
According to Morsi’s spokesman Yasser Ali, a military funeral will be held Tuesday for the dead soldiers and officers.
The attack happened immediately after Sunday’s sunset prayer during Iftar, or fast-breaking meal, when the troops were suddenly attacked by masked gunmen, a local security source told Xinhua.
After exchanging fire, the attackers escaped and security forces were still pursuing them.
The Armed Forces in a statement described those attackers as ” enemies of the whole nation”.
In the statement, the Armed Forces revealed the circumstances of the incident, saying that a terrorist group, comprising 35 people, attacked one of the checkpoints in south Rafah while the soldiers were breaking their Ramadan fast at sunset.
The statement also noted that mortar fires were lunched from Gaza Strip when the attackers drove the stolen armed vehicle into Egyptian-Israeli borders via Karm Abu-Salem crossing, which has been destroyed by the Israeli forces.
The military vowed in another statement on its Facebook page to revenge on those behind this aggressive assault, either inside Egypt or abroad. “We swear in the name of God to revenge.”
The statement noted “they will pay expensive price.”
It added those responsible for the terrorist attacks “are infidels and the history proved that force is the only response to terrorism.”
“Terrorism came back with its ugly face but in new dress during this attack which killed 16 Egyptian soldiers. Egyptians won’t wait long to see the reaction to these attacks of terrorists,” it added.
Meanwhile, Morsi said in statement Sunday night that there is no way for appeasement or indulgence with Rafah’s treacherous attack, adding “the martyrs’ blood wouldn’t be wasted, and the country will present the required care for the injured.”
During meeting with the security and military leaders, Morsi gave instructions for full control over Sinai. “Tomorrow you will see our reaction against this criminal assault.”
Morsi arrived in Rafah Monday escorted by the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Hussein Tantawi and Murad Muwafi, chief of the Egyptian intelligence to check the security conditions after the attack.
On the same day, Arab League (AL) chief Nabil al-Arabi sent a cable of condolences to President Morsi over those killed and injured in the attack, expressing AL’s condemnation to this ” coward assault” and condolences to the victims’ families.
Rage overwhelmed Egypt’s popular and political spectra over the attack, amid demands to reveal the circumstances behind it and the identities of the executors.
The Egyptian Brotherhood movement, which comprises 10 different parties and coalitions, condemned the painful terrorist attack.
Meanwhile, the “Salafist Dawaa” association urged all Egyptians civilians and military men, government and opposition groups to stand in one line against this danger.
“This crime reflected that terrorism lurks inside Egypt and the national security organization is in danger. Egypt needs to reconsider the security system in Sinai,” said the dissolved People’s Assembly member, Moustafa El Nagar.
Egyptian security sources said Jihadists were responsible for the attack and that they used automatic weapons in the attack.
Since the turmoil early last year, the security situation in Sinai has deteriorated. Hardline Islamists belonging to Jihad movements attacked police stations while local Bedouins have kidnapped foreign tourists several times.
Via PL